Chicago has started repainting the rainbow crosswalks in Northalsted—and the first one now reflects the Progress Pride Flag’s inclusive design.
The project will restore all 14 of the neighborhood’s colorful intersections, which were temporarily removed this summer during routine street maintenance. Every crosswalk should be finished by the end of November, weather permitting, said Kevin Barbeau, executive director of the Northalsted Business Alliance.
The first crosswalk, at the intersection of Halsted Street and Buckingham Place, was painted on Nov. 6 with an updated design mirroring the Progress Pride Flag, which includes black, brown, pink, light blue and white stripes to represent people of color and transgender folks.
A second Progress Pride crosswalk will be installed at Cornelia Avenue, while 11 intersections will feature refreshed rainbow flag designs and one at Melrose Street will continue to display the transgender pride flag.
“This time around we were able to refresh the design slightly by identifying a vibrant color scheme that closely matches the official color codes of the various Pride flags,” Barbeau said, adding that a glass bead top coat was used to “give them a little more grip—and more glitter.”
Barbeau said the resurfacing project “came along at the perfect time,” noting the original crosswalks, first installed in 2019, had begun to show signs of wear after more than six years.
The Northalsted Business Alliance, he added, prioritized adding the Progress Pride design “to more fully represent the breadth of our Northalsted businesses, community and family.”
He also thanked Mayor Brandon Johnson, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) and the Chicago Department of Transportation for partnering on the project.
“We are fortunate to have a local government so committed to protecting and respecting our community, especially as we’re seeing other areas of the country dismantling and paving over these physical representations of LGBTQ+ pride, love and strength,” Barbeu said.
Lawson also praised the city for upgrading its rainbow crosswalks at a time when some states, including Florida and Texas, have ordered similar displays be removed.
“While other states are erasing LGBTQ+ history from their streets, Chicago is doubling down on inclusion,” Lawson said.
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will finish the rest of the crosswalks soon, Lawson said.
When the crosswalks are finished, Chicago will be back to having 16 LGBTQ+ Pride-themed crosswalks across the city, including two painted in 2024 in Andersonville and South Shore.